PESHAWAR: Top men of the federal and provincial governments have made a beeline to North Waziristan tribal district ignoring the other merged but most impoverished districts in the erstwhile Fata.

During the last one month, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, several federal and provincial ministers dashed to North Waziristan on daylong visits to have guided tours of the selected sites there.

The latest in the line of visitors was the chief minister’s adviser on primary and elementary education and MPA, Ziaullah Bangash, who went to Miramshah and adjacent areas of North Waziristan and returned to the provincial capital on Saturday.

An official statement said the adviser visited the local garrison, where he was briefed regarding prevalent environment, the army’s drive against militancy and efforts for socio-educational development.

General Officer Commanding Maj-Gen Mumtaz Hussain during a briefing highlighted measures for people centricity and perspective for education improvement of North Waziristan district, where the Pakistan Army has put special emphasis on education and built and renovatedschools and colleges.

The adviser also visited the Government Post Graduate College Miramshah and Government High School Dossali.

Minister says going to Miramshah only individual decisions not collective

Apart from dignitaries, a group of religious scholars and ulema, including some controversial figures, was ferried from Islamabad to Miramshah on Thursday last, where they inspected educational institutions and met local elders.

Prime Minister Imran Khan accompanied by Gen Bajwa had visited Miramshah, the district headquarters, on Nov 26 where he was briefed about security situation and rehabilitation work.

Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had also visited North Waziristan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan on Sunday visited the South Waziristan district, where he inspected the condition of health facilities being provided to the locals.

He also announced the establishment of a trauma centre in DHQ Wana.

During the visit to Wana CMH, the minister inspected different units and showed satisfaction with the services offered to the locals.

Addressing local elders and residents, he said the deficiencies in health sector would be met soon, while posts of the doctors would be upgraded.

Provincial health minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan conducted a daylong guided tour of Miramshah on Dec 22 and addressed tribal Jirga and health department employees.

Governor Shah Farman had also visited the district twice.

Only minister for mines and minerals development Amjad Ali visited Mohmand tribal district. Interestingly, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed KP chief minister and cabinet members to regularly visit all tribal districts but they have selected North Waziristan only.

The frequent visits of the state dignitaries to Miramshah are causing sense of deprivation among the people of other merged tribal districts that were largely affected by militancy. Like North Waziristan, Orakzai, Central Kurram, Tirah valley of Khyber and Mehsud area of South Waziristan districts have witnessed widespread destruction and displacement of population but they are missing from the government’s radar.

Many areas of these districts have yet to see rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and local people can’t return to their homes due to unavailability of basic facilities, like health and education.

Hassan Gul, resident of Orakzai district, which is the most deprived and militancy affected part of the erstwhile Fata, said his area deserved more attention of the government compared to other tribal districts.

He said only interior minister Shehryar Afridi had visited Kalaya to condole the death of 33 people in a bomb blast in Nov.

“We don’t know the logic that every state dignitary makes tour of the North Waziristan, which increases heart burning among the people of other tribal districts,” he said.

When contacted, provincial information minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said it was not the official policy to visit North Waziristan district only.

“I think that these are individual decisions and not collective to focus on Miramshah only,” he said, adding that all cabinet members had been directed to visit merged districts and resolve the people’s issues.

An official dealing with the reconstruction activities in North Waziristan said the officials’ visits proved to be only ceremonial and had no impact on the improvement of the people’s lives.

“The problems of the people of Miramshah are the same, which the people of other merged districts had,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018